If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Thanks for all of the information. Very helpful stuff. The Qual does conflict with Derby in my case. This time, the Qual is on Friday and Derby is on Saturday late morn, so I won't be there on Friday to see the Qual. In other cases, I was too scared to leave the Derby to watch the Qual when I could have.

Jeff E, I will have my clicker in my pocket and no one will know but you and me! But I will keep the pumpkin bandana in the car.

DEFINITELY not a minor stakes expert. And I have 6 months to train toward Qual. Luckily our climate is conducive to year round training.

I will be running both my dogs at the Corning trial the same weekend you do. I started out with my first lab running hunt tests but we are now running in the amateur and her son is running in the derby. I would be glad to share info with you if I see you that weekend.

Thanks for all of the information. Very helpful stuff. The Qual does conflict with Derby in my case. This time, the Qual is on Friday and Derby is on Saturday late morn, so I won't be there on Friday to see the Qual. In other cases, I was too scared to leave the Derby to watch the Qual when I could have.

Jeff E, I will have my clicker in my pocket and no one will know but you and me! But I will keep the pumpkin bandana in the car.

DEFINITELY not a minor stakes expert. And I have 6 months to train toward Qual. Luckily our climate is conducive to year round training.

No to argue with Ted but I have had quals this year which were tight and a blind behind the flier crates. Last trial retired two in both the land and water series. Also had an in line triple with a spread of at least 200 yards between birds and a 275+ yard middle retired bird.

No to argue with Ted but I have had quals this year which were tight and a blind behind the flier crates. Last trial retired two in both the land and water series. Also had an in line triple with a spread of at least 200 yards between birds and a 275+ yard middle retired bird.

When I am setting up a Q on the first series, I am hoping that there will be no retired guns. However, I may retire one or even two, if I need to, but two is very rare. I don't want them too tight, but again, a hip pocket is fairly standard in a Q around these parts and while I prefer not to, I have done it. I will run behind flyer crate if I need to on the land blind, but can usually find something better. So much depends on what the judges are given to work with and often the good grounds go to the AA stakes and the Q is run in the same place the derby was run the day before, so you are limited.

A Q blind, though is not an AA blind. If for example, you run tight to the flyer, I am not worried if Rover sucks over there (same goes for avoiding cover, running down a road, etc., since that is why they are there in the first place) but I want to see the handler control the dog and recover from whatever it is. On a water blind, I will likely set up a long (certainly by HT standards, but not by AA standards) angle entry but it won't be a tiny little sliver of water. It should be fairly black and white. I may ask that the dog get on and off a point or swim by one (but very rarely both) but again it will be more black and white than an AA blind. The line will either take much more of a point or go further off a point than an AA blind.

When I am setting up a Q on the first series, I am hoping that there will be no retired guns. However, I may retire one or even two, if I need to, but two is very rare. I don't want them too tight, but again, a hip pocket is fairly standard in a Q around these parts and while I prefer not to, I have done it. I will run behind flyer crate if I need to on the land blind, but can usually find something better. So much depends on what the judges are given to work with and often the good grounds go to the AA stakes and the Q is run in the same place the derby was run the day before, so you are limited.

A Q blind, though is not an AA blind. If for example, you run tight to the flyer, I am not worried if Rover sucks over there (same goes for avoiding cover, running down a road, etc., since that is why they are there in the first place) but I want to see the handler control the dog and recover from whatever it is. On a water blind, I will likely set up a long (certainly by HT standards, but not by AA standards) angle entry but it won't be a tiny little sliver of water. It should be fairly black and white. I may ask that the dog get on and off a point or swim by one (but very rarely both) but again it will be more black and white than an AA blind. The line will either take much more of a point or go further off a point than an AA blind.

Give a situation in the Q where a double retired is necessary or even at most times a single retired is necessary. I understand you have to work with what the club gives for a fields and water but with enough thought and consideration a setup itself (terrain, cover, placement of guns, direction of marks in relation to other gun stations, etc) can be "meaty" enough to not have to retire 2 birds in a Q let alone 1 retired most times. It is definitely becoming the norm to retire in the Q though, so the expectation and training mentality should be beyond that level for sure.

Give a situation in the Q where a double retired is necessary or even at most times a single retired is necessary. I understand you have to work with what the club gives for a fields and water but with enough thought and consideration a setup itself (terrain, cover, placement of guns, direction of marks in relation to other gun stations, etc) can be "meaty" enough to not have to retire 2 birds in a Q let alone 1 retired most times. It is definitely becoming the norm to retire in the Q though, so the expectation and training mentality should be beyond that level for sure.

Without showing you the grounds and the conditions in question, it would not really be very helpful. As I said, I prefer not to do it, but have had to do so and I think that anyone running a Q should expect to see this. I am perfectly willing to admit that you are a better judge than I am, though.

Without showing you the grounds and the conditions in question, it would not really be very helpful. As I said, I prefer not to do it, but have had to do so and I think that anyone running a Q should expect to see this. I am perfectly willing to admit that you are a better judge than I am, though.

Not questioning anything of being better of any sort. Just really hard to see the need to have to retire two guns. I would never expect a double retired in Q to be honest.